Body-conformer.



PATENTED MAR. 26, 1907.

0. MUNTER BODY OONFORMER APPLICATION FILED $1111.16

2 SHEETB-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES.

14 TTOHNE Y8 TTED STATES @FFTQE;

CHARLES MUNlEli, 0F INl Il YORK, N. Y

soowconr osiuss,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 135, 1907.

Application filed January 16, 1906. Serial No. 296,324.

ot' the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and Stateof" New York, have invented {1- new and Improved Body-Coiiiormer, ofwhich the following is a full, clear, and exact description. l

The purpose of the invention is to provide a corset device particularlyadapted for rectifying the shape of the human body at the hips and atthe lower portion of the trunk, wherein a pliable material, such ascotton or silk cloth fabric,is'cut in such a way as to be given askin-tight lit to the bpdy at such points by reason of the peculiarshape of the device and, further, by reason or a sim: ple arrangement oflaces running through eyelets, the individual laces being joined tobelt-straps connected by a buckle or its equivalent at the frontof thedevice,

A further purpose of the invention is to so construct the device that bydrawing the belt-straps together at the front of the per son thetendency will be to place the body in such a position as to render thebase of the spine the center of gravity, thereby leaving the weight ofthe upper structure above the hip-line so perfectly centered as torelieve the various individual parts of the body" iroln all cumbersomeweight, since the whole body when the device is applied is practicallylifted up, and, furthermore, to prevent the body from sinking down orsagging into the space designed for the hip-bones. The gradual liftingof the body and uniform pres sure of the device a gradual reduction inthe size of the portion of the person surrounded by the conformer, sinceby the manipulation of the belt-straps and connected lacings each andevery part of the device has even tension, there being a total. absenceof concentrated tension at any particular spot.

Another purpose of the invention is to so construct the device that whenworn the pressure is thrown across the shoulders, making the shoulderscarry the weight of the body instead of the pit oi the stomach or thediaphragm. This condition relieves the )ressure on the shoulder-blades,which relief in itself allows the lungs to inflate through l the vacuumwhich is formed therein. and it also causes thelungs to rise by reasonof l their becoming lighter through inflation, and l thus the bonystructure is distended, allowing the heart free action and providing aspace into which the stomach may recede upward and backward under theprotection of the ribs in its not ral position.

The above conditions cause a relief below the waistline ot the body, andwith such conditions prevailing the space across the front or the bodyat the waist-lineto the pelvis-bones becomes empty, naturally reducingthe size around the entire abdomen at such point without anyuncon'ifortable pressure from without or any inconvenience from within.The major portion of the above results is accomplished by reason of theformation of the aforesaid lacings, which when the belt-straps arepulled together shorten themselves through an automatic process, beingnilled in opposite directions without individual force or strain, but ina general uniform and cooperative manner. By throwing the body back onthe spine and relieving the pressure on the front of the person deepbreathing is possible, which when the lungs inilate forces the loosecovering of skin on the body to draw upward and backward, raisin upwardthe bust of the' body in either a man or woman and giving thereby acorrect figure and graceful can ria e.

Knothei purpose oi" the invention is to provide a device which will actwith relation to the male or the female body to relieve all the vitalorgans from internal pressure Without injuring the stomach, spine, ribs,or other important organs.

The invention consists in the novel construction and con'ibination ofthe several parts, will he hereinafter lullyset lorth, and pointed outin the claims. I

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorrespoiuling parts in all the iigures.

Figure l is a perspective view oi the improved device placed upon aperson viewed partially from the side and partially from the Fig is afront elevation of the device, illustrating it as partly uni 'asteiukdfor removal front the person. Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of the deviceshown upon the person, illustrating the manner in which it is ti otenedthereon. fig. i is a perspective View of the device in set or adjustedposition B, separated by a'waist-line ltli i joined together.

upon the person, the view being taken partly from a side and from thefront. Fig. is a rear elevation of the device upon a person, the devicebeing shown in set or ad usted pi) sition; and Fig. 6 is an enlargedorizontal section-through the device. I I

The device practically, its entirety is made of cotton, silk, or'fahricofiasimilar nature and comprises, rimarily an upperorv bodysection A. and a ower'or skirt section The, two

parts A. and B may be made from two parts suitably cut and gored, or thetwo and B may be separately cut I gether, or the two parts A and B, mayconsist of any desired 'number of pieces pro ,erly

' The skirtsection exparts A. and joined to- 1 tends around thebody'from the waist line' downward, covering thehipsflandfthe lower tosuch portions of t line to about a part of the abdomen,

while the upper or body sectiomA; or the dc:

vice is shaped to that .portionofi the wearer and is ','suitably shapede body of the person,-l

B are open atthe front from top. to bottom,

as is shown at 11 inFigs. 2 and 6,1and at saidi'ront'ope'ning 11 theparts are connected when the garment is 'worn by means of anysuitable'form of fastening devices 12- for instance, separable; biittonsor'clips.

At the central portion of the back ofth garment a vertical opening 13 isproduced,

' extending through the lower edge of the skirt across the waist-line 10and terminating at a point adjacent to the up er edge of the saidfilustrated at 14 in device or arment, as is Figs. 3 an 5. Inconnectionwith the skirtsection B at the back a cross-lacing C is employed,utilized in connection with two belt straps, designated, respectively,as D and D, and which are adapted to extend along the waist-line to thefront and to meet at the front of said waist-line, as is best shown inFig. 4-. To that end a series of eyelets 15 is 'formed in the materialof the skirt-section B at each side of the'opening 13, the eyelets beingintransverse alinement. The said eyelets commence at a point nearthel-lowerj edge of the skirt and terminate at a point just below orslightly below the Waist-line 10. In order' that the material shall bestrengthened Where the eyelets 15 are placed, stay strips 16 areintroduced intopockets formed attic edges of the rear ogening 1 3, andother stay-strips 17 are locate in pockets formed at the op osite' sidesof the eyelets 15, as is shown in ligs. 3, 5, and 6. These stays are theonl stays em loyed in the construction of the evice, as tli to hold thebody in t is desired position and e soft material of the, devine issoskilfully shaped as to be relied upon- 1{1g. 3,1 0? example, v rearedge'of the, belt-strap'D 'andis then car- .rig'hteliandside of t cured.,The second lace: cross the first lace at the the body of strap 'isdrawn upon it exerts a seems healthi ully and scientifically modii y thegen 'vidual laces 18 of graduated length, and in applying these lacesone lace, as is shown in is attached to the lower I'lSCl (lOW H and'ispassed'th'rough the lowermost left-hand eyelet of the shut-section B,as. is shown at m in said Fig.3, and this lace is then carried throughthe second lowermost eyeletolr the right-hand side of the skirtacrossfthe'scotion extending from the stra D and to anengagement withthe left-hand strapl) at 'a oint nearits rear lower edge. Thus it'willhe observed that the lace just described is secured at one end to thelower portion of the right-hand belt-strap and at its opposite endadjacent to thelower portlonjof the left-hand belt-strap. The. next lacei's'passed'thron h the last eyelet x at the e skirt and is carried 11 to'anattachment to the left-hand belt strap 'D f at its lower rear. edgeor "justbelow the point where the first-named lane was seis-then made toopening'13 and' is then passed the leil'tdia'nd side of the opening, andcrossing the opposite-strand of the same laceit is earned up to an engahand beltl--' strap. an above the'pointwhere was attached; 'In

ement with the rightsecured thereto ust laces are-passed 'throu halinjng eyelets, forming cross-lacing at the inside of the arment' andcross-lacing at the outside; lint, the cross-lacin at the, outside is aninter lace, since all 0%t11e' strands ofthe laces coming from theleft-hand side of the device are attached to the belt-strap at theright-hand side and all the strands of the laces coming up throughthesecond eyelet at the first-named lace the manner individual fromtheeyelets of the ri ht-hand side of the device are attached left-handside.

to the belt-strap at the IIO In operation the garment is placed 113011theperson and is fastened at its front e go. Then the belt-straps D andDtare'drawn forward and upward at the same time, placing the wearer inthe positions which have been described, and after the erson has beenthus pro erly straightene -or posed the ends'of the halt-straps at thefront of the device are connected at the waist-line by a buckle 19 orany equivalent thereof. It will he observed that when the right-handbeltentle pullin lnfluence on the right-hand side portion 0 the skirt,and when the left-hand portion of the skirt-section of the'device is tobe tight ened to any particular extent the left-hand belt-strap is moistrongly drawn upon or more forcibly placed under tension. Thus it willbe observed that the body of the wearer at the hips may be lifted moreon. one side than on the other, if required, and that the lifting andconfining action may be rendered equal all around by simultaneouslydrawin e ually on each of the belt-straps D and D nder all conditions ofoperation, however,

tension on the belt straps causes a-grad-' ual and uniform contractionof the device throughout its area. The upper end portion 14 of the bodyof the device, or where the opening 13 in the back stops, acts inconjunction with the strengtheningstrips 16 and 17 in similar manner toa pivot-point and in a great 'nieasure regulates how much or how littlethe body of the wearer needs to be straightened. I desire it to bedistinctly understood that each end of each lace 18 is individuallyattachedto one or the other of the belt-straps D or D.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent- A body-conformer constructed of pliable material andconsisting of a body-section shaped to fit the body of the wearer. abovethe waist-line and extending to a point just below the breast, askirt-section shaped to fit the body below the waistline and extendingover the hips and the lower part of the abdoinen, the sections beingsecured together,

formin a corset-like garment adapted tofit the be y skin-tight andhavingan o ening V in its front extending from the top to t e bottom andarear opening; extending from thebottornto a'point near the upper edgethe rear opening being rovided along) its edges with eyelets extend i'ngfrom the ottoni to within a short distance of thewaist-line,strengthening stay-stri s on either side of each row of eyelets an beinthe only stays in the garment, fastenin ovices ,or the front opening, aseries 0 individual laces graduated in length and laced through theeyelets at the sides of the rear opening, the lowermost lace being thelongest and the uppermost one the shortest, and belt-straps,

one of which is provided with a buckle at its front end and to the rearends of each of which an end of each lace is attached, the belt-strapsbein adapted to be pulled upwardly and forwar ly toward the waist-line,passes around the waist and. buckled to ether at the front.

In testimony whereo I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES MUNTER. Witnesses: i J. FRED. ACKER,

JNo. M. BITTER.

